Princeton’s Run to NCAA Tourney Gets Bogle Feeling Like a Sophomore at 81

By Rob Gloster and Michele Steele -
Mar 17, 2011

John Bogle, a 1951 Princeton
University graduate and founder of Vanguard Group Inc., says he
never underestimates his alma mater, even today when the
basketball team takes on the seven-time national champion University of Kentucky.

“I don’t think it’s likely they’ll win, but is it
possible? Of course, anything is possible,” Bogle, 81, said in
a telephone interview from his home in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
“I have never sold Princeton short, and I never will.”

Princeton, making its first appearance in the National
Collegiate Athletic Association tournament since 2004, is a
13.5-point underdog against the Wildcats in an East Regional
game in Tampa, Florida. The full tournament begins today after
four early games the past two days.

For most of Princeton’s players, a future in finance is
more likely than one in the National Basketball Association.
Seniors Dan Mavraides, 22, an economics major, and Kareem
Maddox, 21, an English major, took steps toward their off-court
careers last summer, even though both are keeping an eye on
basketball.

“Both of those jobs involve a lot of time behind a desk,
so I’m going to see if I can play overseas first,” Maddox said
in an interview yesterday in the Princeton locker room. “You’re
only young once. And it’s hard to get a job right now (on Wall
Street).”

Maddox Brings Books

Maddox, a 6-foot-8 (2.03 meter) forward who led Princeton
in scoring this season by averaging 13.9 points while coming off
the bench in 27 of the team’s 31 games, said he brought seven
books to Tampa.

Mavraides, the team’s captain, is taking a break from
thesis writing to play in the NCAA tournament. He’s writing
about the role of technology in the business of the NBA and he
brought a book on sports business with him.

“I thought about applying to Goldman, places like that,
but I’m going to try to play overseas,” the 6-foot-4 guard said
in a locker room interview. “When we go home, hopefully Sunday,
we’ll go straight to the library. I have a thesis to finish.”

If the Tigers (25-6) upset Kentucky (25-8), they’ll move on
to a Round of 32 game two days later. Today’s schedule comprises
four games each in Tampa, Washington, Denver and Tucson, Arizona. There will be 16 more games tomorrow.

No. 1 Seeds

Pittsburgh, one of four regional No. 1 seeds, plays today
against the University of North Carolina-Asheville in
Washington. The other No. 1 seeds -- Duke, Ohio State and Kansas
-- have their opening games tomorrow.

Duke (30-4), the defending national champion, will be
trying to win a fifth title under coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Freshman point guard Kyrie Irving, who had been the Blue Devils’
leading scorer with 17.4 points per game, might return for the
first time since injuring a toe on Dec. 4.

Ohio State (32-2), the tournament’s overall top seed, will
be seeking its second national title. The Buckeyes, who have
advanced to the national semifinals 10 times, were led by future
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek and Bob Knight to their only title in 1960.

Princeton defeated Harvard University in a playoff to
clinch the Ivy League’s automatic berth in the 68-team NCAA
tournament after the schools tied for the conference
championship with 12-2 records.

Bill Bradley’s Team

The Tigers are making their 24th appearance in the NCAA
tournament. They reached the national semifinals in 1965, led by
Hall of Fame member Bill Bradley, who went on to an NBA
championship with the New York Knicks and three terms as a U.S.
senator from New Jersey.

Princeton’s alumni include two U.S. presidents; Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, and Jeffrey Bezos, founder of Amazon.com Inc.

Bogle, who ran the ticket office at Princeton’s Dillon Gym
after classes, said he will be following the game at home as the
Tigers face Kentucky. He watched on his computer on March 12 as
Princeton topped Harvard.

“That has to be one of the greatest games in Princeton’s
history,” Bogle said. “I felt like a little sophomore again.
Any time you have an occasion to relive your youth when you’re
81 years old, take it.”